Cepo and other obstacles: the story of the Australian who closed the cycle in Argentina

They say that John Kahlbetzer often talks about the magical moments he experienced at his three Argentine ranches, Finca Toloche, Las Balas and El Consuelo. And who has those names written in his heart.

But this businessman, born in Cologne, Germany, who divided his life between his landholdings in Argentina and Australia, finally decided to break the ties and sell the fields that amount to 60,000 hectares for 195 million dollars to the Bartolomeo family. Due to its size, this transaction has displaced the board of directors of the farm.

But, what led him to leave the model farms, with 30,000 irrigated hectares, producing top quality cotton, wheat and legumes?

Kahlbtezer is among the 50 richest Australians with a fortune of $ 770 million. He arrived in Argentina 40 years ago almost at the same time as he landed in Australia at a time when the two countries had similar GDP.

Kahlbetzer has long since left the company in the hands of his son Markous, who has always lived in Australia and who, from a distance, it was difficult to understand Argentina.

“complete cycle”Markous is said to have condemned when Liag, the family holding company, celebrated 40 years in the country. so decided sell to invest in Australia. There, Markous added urban developments and tech companies to his agricultural division. His brother Johnny had already given up his holding stake.

Those who know them reveal that it was not an easy option and that it reveals several years of frustration. They exported the grain to Bolivia by rail and it froze. Something similar has happened to them with genetic improvements in cotton, with companies starting their technology from an Argentina that does not recognize their intellectual property. “Not to mention the impossibility of withdrawing dividends”, detailed one of its competitors.

the lover of polo

In the country, John Kahlbetzer has always been known as “The Australian”. East polo fanatic He spent long periods in Las Balas, in the Vedia of Buenos Aires dedicated to the breeding of Hereford cattle and polo ponies.

John landed in the early 1980s after settling in Australia, where in 1972 he created Twynam Pastoral with 17 factories located in the area of ​​New South Wales, where it occupies approximately 400,000 hectares dedicated to the breeding of cattle, horses and sheep for wool and meat, in addition to the production of cereals and cotton.

The Argentine fields were bought by the Bartolomé family in what is a reflection that with stocks and other obstacles business in Argentina is, more and more, for Argentines.

Gerardo Bartolomé will take care of those 60,000 hectares where it is a good bet: he has taken part of the $ 195 million loaned by the Dutch Rabobank.

They were born during the Falklands War

He knows what it means to produce and build from Argentina. In 1982, in the midst of the Falklands War, with his neighbors from San Isidro and later classmates they founded Don Mario.

They started planting 50 hectares of soybeans in Chacabuco. At that time, the area of ​​soybeans reached 1.5 million hectares. They, thrown into entrepreneurship, already had a clear goal: to create a seed brand. Soybeans now occupy half of the country’s agricultural area. And Don Mario leads, to the point that 40% of the soy that is planted in the world has Don Mario genetics.

With $ 500 million in annual revenue and transformed into a multi-seed with branches in the main producing countries, it stands out for the decision to invest every year 20% of your research income. Sure, its main business has moved to Brazil.